Brokeback Mountain (@sohoplace, London, Personal)

 🌟 Brokeback Mountain 🌟

22 July 2023 at 2:30pm at @sohoplace, London

★★★

The story of Brokeback Mountain holds a mammoth legacy, with a tale of forbidden love between ranch hands Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar. Though alongside a legacy comes expectations, and personally, I feel as if this stage adaptation doesn't entirely fill the potentials it holds. Especially culturally, the representation of homosexuality in this story is a landmark in history. I imagine that I was one of the few people in the auditorium who hadn't seen the 2005 film (based off Annie Proulx's short story), so I had no preconceptions before watching this. I find the inspirations and observations of homophobic acts internationally (detailed further in the programme) to be extremely powerful, and using theatre as a vehicle to express these topical issues is incredible to see. Although for me, Jonathan Butterell's Brokeback Mountain was slightly hit and miss for me, with these themes in regards.

Unlike the majority of major West End shows, this play runs for a succinct 90 minutes, and no interval. For the most part, the show was very concise, had a clear vision, and told Annie Proulx's story in a refreshing format. Having no previous knowledge however, the fleeting runtime made it feel as if it didn't have enough time to really develop some of the most important social ideas. There were certainly passings moments where graphic details of homophobic assault are mentioned, defining moments where the show really shines in its voice for more minority and under threat communities. With a shorter stage time, I was left wondering whether the play was intended for fans of the film, so that certain details could've potentially been passed. Though I wouldn't entirely suggest this shorter approach was ineffective, as it also gave the grounds to hold a very whirlwind romance, as the taboo relationships becomes increasingly riskier, and before it can be noticed, lives are turned upside down.

As one of the central protagonists, Mike Faist is absolutely glorious as a bold and raring Jack Twist. His commitment to the role is inspiring, as he truly bares all emotionally (and physically!) in a spellbindingly convincing love, and still maintaining a wicked cheekiness that allows audiences to connect on a comic level. Starring opposite him as Ennis Del Mar, is the captivating Lucas Hedges. The interesting thing about Ennis' character is that he is awfully quiet and reserved, though Hedges is tremendous at communicating such impassioned feelings through his facial expression and body language. Through Tommy Ross-Williams' intimacy direction and Kevin McCurdy's fight direction, every movement has such strong purpose, and the loves and tensions become the forefront of the stage action. Emily Fairn is a pleasure to watch as she performs her stage debut as the devastated Alma, the unfortunate victim of Jack and Ennis' affair. As an audience member, I felt a lot of sympathy for Alma, though her appearance is brief. It would have been a really interesting perspective to see more into her story, beyond surface level frustrations towards her husband Ennis. 

The very unique thing about @sohoplace's adaptation of Brokeback Mountain is the feature of an Older Ennis (played by Paul Hickey), who consistently observes the action, embodying a symbol of grief and potential regret. The character remained onstage for the majority of the show, with very little dialogue, simply watching or facing away from the action. As a concept, I found this interesting, although it didn't quite land for me. Jack and Ennis' taboo relationship is best suited in a lustful atmosphere, so with a constant presence, albeit unseen, with the lovers onstage, that intimacy is immediately lost where privacy is most valued. As a play itself, the script features quite a lot of silence, which sometimes makes those powerful silences lose their impact. Nonetheless, scenes are wonderfully woven together by a semi-onstage band, fronted by the soulful and wistfully commanding Balladeer, Eddi Reader. With orchestrations by Dan Gillespie Sells, the new soundtrack to Brokeback Mountain really revitalizes the story beyond the text. An American Western sound is immediately established, and musical choices are very clever (tempo etc) to reflect feelings of the subtext. Particularly with the reluctancy to Ennis' speech, music expresses these supressed responses outwardly. My only uncertainty with the band was that occasionally, it felt music was used as a transition with a blackout, where nothing else could be found. The score complimented scenes beautifully, though purely on transitions, it could feel like it was used for the sake of a distraction, more than anything.

With @sohoplace being an in-the-round / arena venue, I thought this dynamic really benefits the play, because it sets a site for confrontation, often where actors would face opposite one another, and the space really aids itself to this type of tension. Equally, as the stage is quite small, the proxemics are forced much closer and allows for swifter exits, enhancing the passion amongst the two men, as we feel very near to the action. Due to the nature of the venue, Christopher Shutt's sound design was so intricate to create natural atmospheres, using individual speakers to utilise the space most effectively, such as birds above our heads and babies crying off into the wings. Additionally, Tom Pye's set design was extremely effective, relatively simple but necessarily worked for very fluid transitions in everchanging settings. The symbolism of the fire flaring onstage, as a reflection of passion and eternal love was definitely a goosebump worthy bonus!

While Brokeback Mountain's modern stage adaptation at @sohoplace didn't make me absolutely fall in love with the production, it is undeniable that the tale of oppressed love is filled with desire and despair, communicated very well among the team. I certainly found the acting, use of space and music to be the highlights of the evening, however some of the creative choices regarding the method of storytelling could've been more united for me.

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